Ear syringing on the NHS

[Spidey66]

Also posted in health.
Went swimming a few days ago, and now my ear is blocked. Its painful, im deaf, and it's ringing. I've been putting olive oil drops in it and if anything its worsening.

I've had this before, and whats always sorted it has been syringing.

I went to a minor injuries/walk in yesterday because the pain was getting worse to be told the NHS no longer do syringing. The NICE guidelines now recommend micro suction for blocked ears but this is only done privately. Instead the NHS will refer to audiologists for hearing aids.

Hearing aid referrals for blocked ears? Come again? I'm only deaf for want of a brief intervention!

This is ridiculous!

Should ear syringing or an alternative be available on the NHS? Yabu = no go and pay for it. Yanbu= ear syringing or an alternative should be available on the NHS

I had been having ears syringed for years at the local doctors and they never felt right. Always seemed to have hearing problems and popping in my ear canal. I went to one of those places that basically hoover it out. I can’t tell you the difference. I can hear! It’s fab. The syringing was basically pushing wax further in. I am lucky though because I can afford it , if you are on the breadline the NHS should help. I know what you mean op, I pay for my teeth and ears now. Parts of the NHS do seem to have been privatised already.

@Aprilinspringtimeshower your experience isn’t universal though. Both my father and partner have had their ears microsuctioned due to a persistent blockage. I’m sorry your GP isn’t referring you on to wherever they should for your issues but that’s not policy.

@Seasonschange my GP wouldn’t refer me either. I think it’s a post code lottery.

I had this a couple of years back - I felt water going into my ear in the shower and it got blocked up, with hearing loss. It was over Christmas so I had no hope of seeing anyone about it. I mentioned it to a friend and she told me that she'd recently had the same and her GP had told her to take a decongestant. I was sceptical, but I took an ordinary Sudafed that I had in the house: within about an hour, my nose suddenly started streaming and my ear completely unblocked itself. No idea how it worked and it might have been a fluke, but I thought I'd mention it in case it helps.

I suggest you wear ear plugs next time you go swimming (as you said you have had this problem before.) The NHS is not set up for 'free' things that you can manage yourself without bothering minor injuiries.

I know I sound harsh but we are all in the same boat - some of us have been waiting ages for medical problems to be sorted that are far more serious than your 'water in ear'

People who dismiss it as only ear wax have no idea of the problem some people have. I have tiny ear canals and if I get water in my ears, it gets behind the wax and becomes infected. Twice I have been admitted to ENT as an emergency. The last time, after micro suctioning, I was there for two days and nights, most of the time on IV antibiotics. Must have cost the NHS a lot.

@bunnybuggs
Thanks for your helpful suggestion
Last time I tried that I ended up in minor injuries getting the earplug removed.
The problem isn’t just water it’s wax.

Tbh as you’re not me you don’t know what I’m going through. I’m not someone wants the NHS to solve all my problems. I go the self help route whenever possible. In fact if anything I tend not to seek help until I’m very unwell, which explains in part why my recent gallbladder surgery revealed 200+gallstones and why when I had a hysterectomy I had a fibroid the size of a 7 month pregnancy. But I’ll bow to your greater knowledge of my body and my health issues and never seek medical attention again.

DH has his done fairly regularly as he has been classified as having very sticky wax and historic scarring of his ears from childhood illness and surgeries means he is discouraged from trying any home remedies.

Apart from the 8 months or so he was without services over Covid times, he's still being offered appointments 4 times a year. The only change to the procedure has been of venue. He used to have to go to audiology at the hospital. Now the service is offered on a clinical vehicle parked up at the local Sainsbury's.

[quote Spidey66]@bunnybuggs
Thanks for your helpful suggestion
Last time I tried that I ended up in minor injuries getting the earplug removed.
The problem isn’t just water it’s wax.

Tbh as you’re not me you don’t know what I’m going through. I’m not someone wants the NHS to solve all my problems. I go the self help route whenever possible. In fact if anything I tend not to seek help until I’m very unwell, which explains in part why my recent gallbladder surgery revealed 200+gallstones and why when I had a hysterectomy I had a fibroid the size of a 7 month pregnancy. But I’ll bow to your greater knowledge of my body and my health issues and never seek medical attention again.[/quote]
@Spidey66 well said!

I've just had the microsuctioning done. The olive oil I had been using just pushed it further in and made it swell. Yes it's helped and fortunately I can afford it...but I do still think it should be on the NHS.

I'm still angry about those dismissing the pain and discomfort that earwax causes. Just because some people don't suffer, or respond well to OTC or self help measures, doesn't mean everybody does. Otex and olive oil makes it worse for me. I've tried earplugs when swimming and ended up in minor injuries getting one removed. I often get ear infections in my outer ear. Syringing has worked for me in the past.

In the old days when I had periods, i didn't get severe pain, it just responded to paracetamol or brufen. But would I criticise anyone for seeking help because their pain doesn't respond in tgge same way and say "it's just period pain, suck it up and take some paracetamol stop wasting NHS time and resources ....no of course not, because we're all different.

Thanks to everyone who understands!

@bunnybuggs earache from impacted wax is extremely painful and it really affects your life. You cannot hear and it’s affects conversation to some extent because it’s embarrassing to keep saying ‘pardon’ You have obviously never suffered with it because you wouldn’t dismiss it like that otherwise. There will always be someone with worse medical problems but that doesn’t mean you should dismiss someone’s else’s issues.

I have micro suction on NHS every few months.

@V3rb3na

I have micro suction on NHS every few months.

Useful to know, I was unable to get hold of my Gp today the ask.

As another example of ‘minor’ health issue which can be serious.....eczema
Usually needs just E45 and maybe an otc steroid but can need strong cream and antibiotics if infected
Would I criticise someone for seeking medical attention when it’s at that point or would I say oh just go to Boots for some moisturiser?

Anyone that has had micro sunctioning performed or knows about it, is it safe or suitable if I have suffered from perforated eardrums in the past? I have tried contacting a local clinic to inquire but not heard back from them.

@MeadowFairy
I had it today but not sure..it’s supposedly safer than syringing
@Libraryghost if MN had a like function I’d like yours

I put olive oil in my earsfor 6 weeks. It made no difference and l was totally deaf. I had them syringed at my GP in June.

DM used to get her ears syringed on the NHS. She now pays £50 for one of the nurses (from the GP practice) to come to her home and do this privately. I believe many of the nurses there offer this private service - might be worth asking your surgery?

mummyh I hope you'd been softening with drops first, otherwise that was very bad (or greedy) practice. There's a high risk of perforation stringing dry wax as it pulls away from the eardrum.
I've syringed hundreds of ears over the years and remember using the big hand held syringe 20 odd years ago where you couldn't even regulate the pressure. Such damage was done.
I had terrible vertigo after having mine syringed once, would never have it done again.
We currently don't syringe due to local guidelines on Covid but we did right up to that.

*syringing

Some very judgmental people on here. Glad you got this sorted. Mental health services are SO important and I imagine struggling to hear clearly what your patients are saying doesn't make the work easier.

@cptartapp it was DH and he had been using drops for almost 2 weeks. We'd actually called the doctors for advice as the drops had started stinging on application, he was booked in with the nurse 3 days later and popped in the pharmacy to get advice to see if he should continue using drops until the appointment or whether he should stop - the receptionist at the surgery was unable to advise. It was only then we found out the pharmacist could syringe it, he managed to get 80% of it out there and then and the other 20% was taken out a week later at a follow up appointment. This then meant his appointment with the nurse was cancelled and offered to someone else. No criticism for the pharmacy at all, and as far as he was concerned it was money well spent.

I paid to have this done (£60) at an ear clinic.
It did strike me as unfair on those who can't afford it though.

@ThreeLocusts

Some very judgmental people on here. Glad you got this sorted. Mental health services are SO important and I imagine struggling to hear clearly what your patients are saying doesn't make the work easier.

I had to do an assessment today and yes it was hard. Fortunately the lady I was seeing asked me to remove my mask as she had a hearing problem, made it easier to admit I had similar problems!

I cycle to work, i did it today but actually was risky.

I’ve got one of those bulb things, it made me so dizzy and I just felt sick. Haven’t tried it again.

second (thirded?) going to pharmacy & asking advice
dh had to for his hearing check (he has hearing aids) & he needed his ear wax treated before
I rang Boots for micro whatsit & they told me to get dh to use anti wax stuff first -if when he went for appointment the wax had gone he wouldn't have to pay -it worked (he doesn't do phone calls for obvious reasons)
The Pharmacists in Boots Shops (as opposed to the audiology/specs bit) were really good & suggested a specific (not expensive) dewaxer oil & it worked so he didn't have to pay.
It did bug me though because he has hearing loss & the NHS audiology required he did this before his hearing test. I did ask how did people who had restricted incomes manage?